Scanner set to analyse impact of Olympic traffic on air quality

Leicester University researchers will test their CityScan devices — previously covered in The Engineer when they were under the design and construction phase — on three rooftops across London to generate a 3D pollution map of the city.

‘CityScan is a pollution scanner that uses scattered sunlight to map nitrogen dioxide in the urban environment,’ team leader Dr Roland Leigh of the university’s Earth Observation Science Group told The Engineer via email. ‘CityScan uses the absorption structures in the sunlight to establish concentrations along distinct lines of sight.’

Unlike existing technology, which can only give an accurate reading for certain ‘hotspots’, CityScan will be able to show the air quality over every point in London — including individual roads, playgrounds and other buildings.

‘CityScan is the first technology with the ability to produce a full panorama of air quality from a single instrument,’ said Leigh.

As well as giving overall readings, the sensors will reveal the dates and times when pollution peaks.